


The Changes in These Walls [Hiatus]

by AtariStar



Category: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - All Media Types
Genre: Arson, Candy, F/M, Fluff, Interior Decorating, Psychopaths In Love, Romance, They're so toxic but it's cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:48:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25239502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtariStar/pseuds/AtariStar
Summary: Willy Wonka enlists the help of an interior designer. As they spend more time together, both of them become closer. Wallpaper and game changers this story has it all.
Relationships: Willy Wonka/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 15





	1. Advice

A foggy night clouded the factory, and William Wonka sat in his chair. Stripped of his hat, coat, his fake demeanor, and face powder. Willy Wonka was exhausted from his days’ work at the factory. All the oompa loompas asleep in their treehuts, and the Buckets’ asleep in their shack. Only WIlly lied awake during the lonely hour. 

In all of his adventures, Willy had longed for someone to accompany him. He wanted companionship that Charlie could not fulfill. He had felt lonely before, that led to the ticket idea, but he yearned for something more. Willy wasn’t new to dating, or being intimate, he had a factory to run, not leaving much room to give someone attention. On the foggy factory days were when he longed for a woman’s touch the most. The Buckets’ company during meals only bandaged the deep wound Willy of loneliness carried with him.

Charlie noticed his lonely moments during their work in the Invention Room, and suggested that he socializes. Willy rejected that idea, claiming he was “Too busy to make outside friends”. Willy wasn’t too busy, in fact he had quite a bit of time in his day, which was mainly dedicated to his loneliness. The oompa loompas left him alone, and Charlie was at school, leaving Willy to wallow in his alone-ness.

Today was just like any other, except for a comment made by Charlie.  
“Why don’t you get a factory designer?” Charlie brightly asked.  
“I like the factory just the way it is, makes me feel all nice and warm” Willy responded.  
That suggestion stuck with him, even during the evening he was thinking about updating his factory.

Charlie had introduced Willy into the internet, just the google search engine, he already knew how to use a phone and a TV. Willy opened his Wonka laptop and began his search for interior designers. He passed so many of them that all of their faces blurred together, except for one face. Corinne Toussaint, five stars, attractive face, high reviews, attractive profile, and good references. Willy couldn’t help the fact that he kept noticing her beauty. Her skin like smooth milk chocolate, and springy ringlets framing her face. Her enticing light brown eyes, that Willy could only imagine becoming like pools of honey in the sun. She was perfect for the job. Willy had to turn back into professional mode, he couldn’t find her to be attractive, they would be working together.

Willy shut off his signature laptop, and looked at himself in the mirror. How Willy had envied his mother for her toned skin. Willy had only inherited a light tan from her, one of her final gifts to him before her passing. He stroked his cheek softly, why did he hate his awkward skin tone, not tan, but not pale. The only thing his father told him about his mother was that she was Middle Eastern. Morrocan, from Berber descent. His mother died while giving birth to his sibling, who also didn’t make it, all when Willy was 3 years old. From what he could remember, she was very kind, and always smiling. Another depressing part of his childhood that he only thinks about when Charlie asks.

William Wonka tucked himself in his gigantic bed and turned over for sleep, excited for what new work would happen for the next few months when Corinne comes to fix his life, his factory. Charlie will be so happy when he discovers that Mr. Wonka listened to his suggestion.

The new morning had arrived as quickly as a tortoise, and Willy Wonka felt like he had been asleep for eons. His alarm clock always waking him up at 6:00 every morning made sure that WIlly kept to his morning routine. Wake up, use the bathroom, brush floss, and wash his face. That’s how it is every morning, but this morning Willy Wonka had an unusual brightness to his day.

“Mr.Wonka you’re looking quite chipper today” Mrs. Bucket comments. Now that Charlie had moved into the factory, Willy no longer had to eat breakfast all by himself. 

“I feel much better about life today. Thank you for noticing” Willy responded.

Breakfast was one of the quicker meals for the day, Charlie was already off for school, and Mr. Bucket was already at work. After they finished their morning meal Willy Wonka went to schedule Ms. Toussaint’s services. He double checked everything, and he was satisfied. Finally Willy had an achievement to show Charlie that wasn’t candy-related.

Charlie was shocked that Mr. Wonka had actually listened to his idea.  
"Mr. Wonka, are you sure that you're feeling well today?" Charlie asked, trying to see if the candy maker was serious.  
"My dear boy, my head is on just right. I decided to listen to your advice, that's all." Wonka replied brightly.

Charlie made a note in his head that Mr. Wonka might get weird during the next few months.


	2. The Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corinne arrives for her tour of the factory, and Charlie finds out how much his dislikes adults flirting in front of him.

On the morning of Corinne's arrival, the factory was buzzing with excitement. The oompa loompas started their work early so that they would have enough time to see the guest. It was a Saturday, so Charlie was out of school, also anticipating her arrival. The only person who wasn't on edge was William Wonka. In contrast to everyone's anxiety, he was oddly calm. 

The loud click of the main gate alerted everyone. Charlie and Willy Wonka were ready to greet Corinne into the factory. They stood right next to the door so that she wouldn't have to walk all the way down the long daunting hallway into the factory.

_ Eeee _ The main factory door opened up, letting in the light from the outside world. Willy was about to hiss at the horrible outside light, but then he remembered his guest. Charlie and Willy's faces stayed stoic until they saw her head of curls enter the factory.

Corinne entered the factory with a bright smile. She took one big inhale, and smelled the chocolate aroma of the factory entrance. Her bouncy curls made her dimples more apparent. She was wearing a gray coat that had black rounded buttons. A simple pair of jeans, and red converse. 

"Hello. Welcome to our factory. Please hang your coat up, the rest if the tour will be temperature controlled." Willy Wonka said to Corinne.

"Hi I'm Charlie and this is Willy Wonka, we own the factory." Charlie introduced. Corinne hung her gray peacoat up on the rack.

"Well aren't you quite young to be a factory owner." Corinne said. Her accent took both of them by surprise, it was French, but not stereotypical. It was thick with spice, from a bordered region.

"Mr.Wonka is my mentor. I'm learning how to run the factory, Mr. Wonka is a great teacher." Charlie held out his hand for her to shake.

"Well it is very nice to meet you Charlie." Corinne said, shaking his hand. She offered her hand to Willy, and dropped it after he shook his head.

"We are very pleased that you could assist us for the next few months. Please follow us for your tour of the factory". Willy said, he turned to face opposite of the main door and walked towards the glass elevator.

"This is our glass elevator. We use it to get around the factory quickly. Mr. Wonka just installed a railing on the inside so that you don't fall." Charlie explained to Corinne. She looked very skeptical of the glass contraption.

"Oh my glass elevator is perfectly safe, but please hold onto the railing, just to make sure that you don't fall." Willy Wonka said with a kind smile. 

Corinne was tall, and if Willy had to guess, he would assume that she was at least 5'9 to 5'11. He could smell her hair, and it smelled heavenly, like a sweet dessert. Willy would have to remember that scent for a new candy.

Willy Wonka hit the button for the candy room, and off they went. Corinne held on to the support bar. Willy and Charlie were enjoying the ride. Corinne was in awe of the factory, as she got a rundown of the many rooms they passed before getting to the candy room.

"Where are you from Ms. Toussaint? You have a French accent, but it sounds different than the ones on the telly." Charlie inquired. Willy shot him a stern look, but Charlie looked back at him with innocent eyes.

"I'm from Basque, Southern France, it's right next to Spain. I learned 4 languages living there: French, Spanish, English, and Basque of course. I moved to Nice for University, but I still go back to visit family." Corinne explained. Her face was very relaxed, as she was happy someone was asking her questions. Mr. Wonka tried to look uninterested, but Corinne knew that he was listening to her answer.

Finally the Great Glass Elevator came to a stop. It's position in the candy room gave the passengers an amazing view of the waterfall. The door opened after a purple gloved hand pressed a button. A mix of aromas attacked Corinne's nose as she stepped out of the glass compartment.

"This is the candy room. Everything is edible here, even me. That's called cannibalism, I'm sure you know that my dear, it's frowned upon in most cultures." Willy described.

"Is that a chocolate waterfall?" Corinne asked in awe. This was the first time she had ever seen such a big space filled with whimsical food items.

"Yes my dear, that waterfall mixes the chocolate to make sure that it stays light and frothy. No other chocolate factory mixes their chocolate by waterfall." Willy answered.

"Has anyone ever fallen in?" Corinne questioned.

Willy and Charlie went into a shared flashback, and thankfully Charlie was out of it before Willy Wonka to answer her.

"Only once. He was promptly rescued and the chocolate was sanitized after." Charlie explained. Charlie watched her face go from curious to amused.  _ She is one interesting person _ Charlie thought to himself.

Willy snapped out of his flashback when Corinne asked him another question.

"What is that brown shed down there?" She asked.

"That’s where I live!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Haven't you thought of living in a house with better quality?"

"Not really. I guess if it's alright with Mr. Wonka, that could be your first project."

"We'll see about that Charlie, there's a lot to reinvent in this factory," Wonka replied.

"Wonka I absolutely love your train of thought. Renovation is a word people associate with change, but I use reinvent to help them envision living spaces." Corinne explained.

Willy Wonka was mesmerized by her voice, a small grin emerged from under his hat. He quickly straightened his face, but he knew he was caught when Corinne gave him a small wink. His blush had no coverage from his face powder, and Charlie let out a giggle. Willy could do nothing, but sigh and move on.

"You should walk around and try a bit of everything. The grass is good, and so are the apples." Willy pointed with his cane to a skinny candy apple tree by the grassy bridge. 

"Do these candy apple trees grow naturally in your factory? If so could I have a box to take back to my hotel room?" Corinne asked him. She had candy apple coating her lips, but it blended in with her rouge lipstick.

Willy stared at her lips for a second before he answered.

"Now my dear, that is a trade secret. If you’d like to take some back to your hotel room I'm sure that I can have that arranged. Maybe if you could show me your worthiness, I'd let you in on how I do it." Willy Wonka said that last line rather suggestively.

Charlie did a signature retching sound in Willy's direction, making his discomfort known.

Corinne tried the gum drops from the little bush they were in, just like how berries are grown, and she savored their sweet flavor. Berries, and they didn't taste like anything artificial.

Willy took note of what candies she liked, but he noticed that the oompa loompas were already arriving with their signature pink vessel.

"Hey Corinne, our ride is here. The best part of your job is that you get to meet my little workers. They're Oompa loompas from Loompaland, and they're very hard workers." Willy pointed to the giant pink vessel gliding over the chocolate surface.

All three of them walked down towards the licorice dock. Charlie got on with no help, but Willy let Corinne hold his gloved hand to get aaboard. He didn't even recoil in the slightest 

Charlie watched this assistance, and thought that it was weird that Wonka would let someone touch him. He guessed that Wonka had a crush on her, which would explain his odd behavior. Mr. Wonka had been acting a lot more normal in the days leading up to Corinne's arrival. Charlie had seen enough telly shows to know that Mr. Wonka was trying to flirt with her. Finally he was going to settle down with someone, Charlie wouldn't be subjected to his weirdness alone.

Wonka did an abstract gesture to the oompa loompas to tell them to go ahead. Corinne was sitting next to him in total ignorance on what was about to occur.

The boat ride started off slow, with its melodic drumming. It increased in speed and thrill, with the drops and turns. Corinne and Charlie were enjoying the ride as if it were a roller-coaster.

"Do the Loompa oompas know where they are going?" Corinne whispered into Wonka's ear. The curiosity etched into her eyes, covering up her shame for what she thought was a dumb question.

"No, we simply have no way of knowing which way they will go." Willy shouted his answer back so that the wind didn't carry his answer away. He tried hard not to think about her warm breath on his ear, and how close she was to his body, just sitting right next to him-

"Mr. Wonka! Grandpa George had a spill in the house, and now Mum's going to hospital with him," a distressed Charlie turned to face his mentor with his news.

Charlie's phone illuminated his anguish. Willy gave him a phone for his 12th birthday last year, and he had been very responsible with it. No cracks and not even a scratch, but now that phone held news of great sadness.

"It'll be okay my dear boy, we'll stop at the nearest room and get you in your f-f-f-ami unit." Wonka told the boy. He was still having trouble saying words that involved families, but he was getting better each day, or so he thought.

Corinne found his ability to find a solution to Charlie's problem charming. She hadn't seen many authority figures make everything seem fine to an inconsolable child that quickly. 

Wonka made a gesture to the Oompa loompas, that Corinne guessed meant to stop at the next dock.

They went a completely different way then when the golden ticket winners were here. They only passed through the backside of his most ingenious rooms, Hair Cream, The mixing room, The Invention Room, and the whipped cream room. The back of all of those famous rooms were still interesting to look at. Corinne was enamored by the giant mixing vats that showed a variety of candies in the making.

Finally the Oompa loompas stopped in front of the red room. The trio excited the vessel, and walked inside of the scandalous room.

Corinne was unsure if Charlie should even be allowed in this room, but her expectations were greatly disappointed. The room was all red, and had a display of all of Wonka's red candies and chocolate. 

Wonka slicked right past Charlie and Corinne who have never been in such a room and pressed the button for the elevator.

_ Whoosh _ . The elevator magically appeared in the red themed room.

"Come along now, we wouldn't want Charlie missing the Buckets," Wonka called out to the two of them, with his can in the door of the elevator.

They speedily walked past the interesting plaques, and stories of every candy, and joined Wonka in the elevator.

The button for the candy room was pressed, and the elevator zipped to its destination. Corinne was too busy holding on for dear life to notice all of the wonders flashing before her eyes. Charlie held on too, but just so that he could balance while his mind was in disarray. Charlie had the bad thoughts flashing with the good ones about Grandpa Joe's recovery. Wonka was in his own mind, trying to sort out his feelings for Corinne while both Charlie and her were distracted.

The sudden stop when they reached the candy room made the three of them lurch forward. Charlie ran out as soon as the doors opened and the two adults followed after him. Charlie was much faster than Willy and Corinne, and he went inside his shack of a house.

In the 5 minute walk from the elevator to Charlie's house, Charlie was told by Grandpa Joe that his parents had already left, and that Charlie was to wait for them to come back.

Corinne was concerned for Charlie after he informed her and Wonka, mainly because he seemed like such a bubbly boy before he found out about his grandfather.

"See you later Charlie. I hope your grandfather will be okay." Corinne said as she waved goodbye to the blond boy. Together Willy Wonka and Corinne Toussaint walked back to the elevator in silence. 

"Well I guess we can continue the tour tomorrow," Wonka finally said, once the two were inside of the elevator. He pushed the button for the main lobby. The elevator wound up in motion.

"Yes, I am looking forward to it. I feel that this place has potential for reinvention. I was also very surprised by the Red room, totally not what I expected." Corinne replied.

The elevator made haste in arriving at the main lobby, and its two passengers exited. Corinne made a bee line for the coat rack, and fastened the buttons. Willy met her by the large entrance and opened the door for her.

"Thank you for being open-minded on this tour, the other adults were so snobbish. May you have a good day, and maybe one day you could see my real Red room." Willy said as he watched her exit the warm factory. She gave him a small nod and waved to him. She glided down the stairs, and into the fall streets she went.

Willy let the door close, and took the elevator to his room. William Wonka was in need of a cold shower.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Sing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corinne arrives again, and her and Willy are treated to a special song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short, I just didn't want you to wait any longer for this chapter

The next day, Charlie's parents still hadn't returned from the hospital, and Wonka was worried. He needed to teach Charlie about the factory and give him some responsibilities, but Charlie's family came first. That was another reason why he just wanted Charlie to live in the factory by himself, no one to hang over him like a dead goose.

Wonka received a call. It was from the Buckets.

"Hello?" Wonka answered 

"Mr. Wonka we have some horrible news." It was Mrs. Bucket, and she sounded like she was trying not to cry.

"Well what is it?"

"George's fall was worse than we thought. He hit his head quite hard, and his brain stole up. He's no longer with us." After she made that statement, the sobs started.

"Oh dear, I'm very s-s-orry for your loss. Would you like me to inform Charlie?"

"Yes, but please be gentle with our boy, we wouldn't want to hurt his kind heart anymore than we have to." Mrs. Bucket said in-between sobs.

"Alrighty, I got it, and again I'm truly sorry for your loss." Willy hung up the phone after a one-sided goodbye with the Buckets.

Telling Charlie was not what he had planned on doing as a mentor. Willy Wonka got dressed in a plain maroon sweater that went over his black button up. He dressed in a black robe instead of his maroon one, and took his cane with him.

One secret about the factory was that Wonka had 2 elevators, both glass, but one was for personal use, and the Great Glass Elevator was for everyone. Wonka put on his hat, which was right in front of his elevator, and took the elevator down to the Candy room.

It was a much longer walk from his elevator to the Buckets' house, but Wonka managed just fine, his legs felt stronger than ever. Wonka knocked on the door of the shack, hoping that Charlie answered quickly.

"Oh. Hi Mr. Wonka. I was expecting my parents to be here, but I guess you're okay too." Charlie disappointedly said. He opened the door so that Wonka could come inside.

Once Wonka was comfortably sitting in the little shack, he realized how sad the house was. All five of them had solemn looks on their faces.

"Mrs. Bucket called me to give me an update on Grandpa George and now I'm informing you." Willy said softly. "Unfortunately your family member George has died." Willy looked at Charlie's face, then at the grandparents in the bed.

Charlie was in shock, he was stuck shaking his head no, finally his body gave up on him, and he collapsed to the floor. The 3 grandparents in the bed were obviously sad, but they tried to stay strong for Charlie. Only Georgina let herself get herself vulnerable. Her husband of 80 years was dead. 

No amount of comfort the other seniors could offer would sooth her heart. Willy Wonka said a small apology before getting the hell out of that sad shack.

His hidden wrist watch told him that it was 2:10 pm. Corinne was supposed to get the rest of her tour at 2:15. Wonka rushed to the front gate, trying to keep on time. 

"Mr. Wonka what a wonderful surprise." Corinne said, as she walked through the door. Willy was there to greet her, his face was a little flushed from his speed run to her.

"You weren't expecting me to meet you at the door?" Wonka asked. He tried to figure her out in the one second it took her to answer.

"I thought that Charlie would meet me here. You didn't seem too keen to shake my hand yesterday, so I thought that you would give Charlie practice." Corinne explained.

"Unfortunately Charlie will be unavailable for the rest of the week. His grandfather died this morning." Willy told. Corinne's face was dressed in pity and understanding.

"Poor Charlie, that loss will have a great deal in his bright personality" Corinne shook her head, but moved on to a lighter topic. "Where's this part of the tour going?" She asked the pale man.

"We'll be going to the Invention rooms, as they are quite drab. Haha," Wonka honked.

Onward they went, zipping through 12 Invention rooms, each one for a different type of candy. Each room Corinne's amazement grew more and more. She was thinking about how big her paycheck was going to be, and how one man could create so much joy.

As they walked into the dreaded invention room 13, they were greeted to an Oompa Loompa performance. Willy tapped his cane to the beginning of the song.

"Corinne's arrival in the factory has changed Wonka's mind by contrary. He's happier manageable, at least sometimes he's tangible." In Invention Room 13 the little workers' outfits were a nice shade of purple to match Willy's gloves.

The tempo sped up and so did their movements, and little bodies were shaking and miming to the fast beat.

"Willy's had a change of heart and all it took was for Corinne to start, she's come here from a long way and we think she's here to stay." The chorus was thrown in there, helping Willy's flushed face become even redder.

"Corinne is temporarily here to stay, who knows, babies are probably on the way. Wonka's cheeks are flushed so red, he might want someone else's cheeks to spread instead." The two humans were in no position to laugh or dance at the production, and they stood there in shock as the little people left the room, probably going off to write more embarrassing lines.

"That was je ne sais quoi, quite the performance." Corinne finally managed to utter.

Wonka was still standing next to her in complete shock. His long body, stiff as a board as he tried to process what just happened. The most notable thing for him was that his temper was rising, and that was never good, especially not in front of guests.

"Well I think that a little chat with the oompa loompas is in order. This was most certainly not planned. My a-a-apologies to you if you felt any uncomfortability during that performance. Haha, yeah." Wonka did a slight bow of the head, making himself the same height as her.

"That definitely wasn't expected at all, and I'm very surprised that they can speak." Corinne and Willy were both trying to calm themselves after that exposé of a performance.

"Yes, they speak English, or sing it, but they prefer to sign. I think that we've seen quite enough of the Invention rooms." Willy said, walking away. Corinne followed after him, her cheeks had a hint of red peeking through the melanin.

Wonka and Corinne got back into the glass elevator, but there was a twist this time.

"You can choose a room. I haven’t been to some of these rooms in a month." Willy Wonka exclaimed.

Corinne nodded her head and thoughtfully picked a room. The Mixing room was selected, and off the elevator went, zipping past rooms and explosions, and the absolute unexplainable.

At the large room, emboldened with the title "Mixing Room" the great glass elevator landed directly in front of the room, and as soon as the crystal door opened, Corinne and Willy walked into the large room.

"When we come out of this room we must be quick, the smells of the Mixing room enhance the flavor of the candies," Wonka said to Corinne, looking for some agreement on her part.

Corinne nodded, then she actually looked around in the large room.

She thought to herself,  _ Wonka's a genius _ .

  
  
  
  



	4. Mixing Continued

Tubes of different colored candies laced the ceiling. Vats of candy and chocolate were making a rhythmic pumping sound. The smell of different candies mingled in an extravagant combination. Corinne was stunned in amazement.

"Harrigarria! Mister Wonka this place is brilliant!" Corinne exclaimed.

"Why thank you" He tipped his signature hat. "I worked very hard on this room. A lot of my pipes needed blowing." Wonka made sure to include the innuendo. His subtle lust for her becoming even more apparent as the days went on wasn't so subtle. 

Corinne noticed the candy man's charm and she couldn't help but play along. She flirted some throughout the other rooms, but this was the first time she had heard him be so blunt. She regained her professional composure.

"How long did it take to build?" Corinne asked, trying to get her mind to focus on something other than ripping off his velvety coat. 

"Only a few months, but that was when I had workers in my factory instead of Oompa Loompas. The good days" Wonka replied.

"As you can see these are the mixing vats. We process 100 liters of candy every minute. You may notice that some Oompa Loompas are wearing maroon suits, and that's bec their job is to taste the batches to make sure that they taste perfect" Wonka explained.

"What candy is in this bowl?" She asked, pointing to a bowl in the red section.

"That is Wonka's Strawberry Surprise. Would you like to try it? It's not quite ready for mainstream production, so you'll have to keep this under wraps." Willy said.

"Your secret is safe with me. Let's try it!" Corinne said and clapped her hands with excitement. They briskly walked over to the red section of the mixing vats. 

"Beni could you get Corinne a sample of the strawberry. " Willy asked as he signed the words. The little man went to retrieve the sample quickly 

"Do you know all of their names? There has to be thousands of them" Corinne inquired. 

"Yes. When you spend 5 years in a factory surrounded by little workers you get to know everyone's names. It was quite easy, there's only 160 of them." Willy Wonka affirmed. While Corinne was peering into the strawberry tank, Beni tugged on her green top to get her attention.

"Thank you." She said to the little person, as he walked swiftly away to another vat of candy. She looked at Wonka with hopeful eyes as she tried the strawberry candy. 

It sure lived up to its name, the strawberry taste overwhelmed her senses in a good way, and bits of strawberry dissolved in her mouth. The candy seemed a lot bigger when she had it in her hand, and now it's size was reducing by the second.

"My God this candy is delicious. It tastes like a real strawberry but it still tastes artificial. The strawberry pieces make it a delicious treat." Corinne told the candy man, but he was in another daze.

Finally after a quick moment he snapped out of it.

"So very pleased you enjoyed the candy, it's one of my favorites. Now let us move onto the blue section, I've been working on something very special." Willy stopped leaning on his cane and glided to the navy blue section of the room.

"After a previous fortunate, excuse me I mean unfortunate incident I have perfected a chewing gum that replaces three meals. If you’d like to try it I'm positive there's a sample around here somewhere." Wonka tried not to seem so devious around Corinne, as she obviously didn't need to know about his heinous affairs in the factory, but he could not help an evil grin after he misspoke.

"No no, I'm not a fan of the gomme à mâcher. It melts in my mouth and it's not incroyable, very gross." Corinne explained. 

Willy enjoyed hearing her switch between languages. It reminded him of his time in Switzerland learning about chocolate in French, and seeing couples argue in a mix of German and French. Happier times those were, but now wasn't the time for Wonka to reminisce on. He was so caught up in her Frenchglish that he almost missed the part where she called gum gross. Instead of lust attracting him to her, in that moment it was a common understanding of how disgusting gum was.

"I came up with a little rhyme about that. Chewing gum is really gross, chewing gum I hate the most." Wonka boasted. He was internally happy that someone shared his hatred for gum, but he decided to act a bit smug so he wouldn't seem too eager. 

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Corinne noticed that he was happy she didn't like gum, and made a mental note of it. Forming a plan in her head, she decided that there was no better time to put it in action.

"Wonka do you have any sucettes? If the strawberry candy tasted so good I wonder if those would too." Corinne tried to frame the question as innocent, as she knew the candy man spoke, or at least understood French. 

"If I let you try the strawberry candy then there's no harm in giving you a lollipop." Wonka popped the end of the word extra loud. "Beni could you bring Corinne the mystery flavored lollipop. It would be greatly appreciated." Willy ordered making sure to sign while he was speaking.

Beni's head popped out when he heard his name and gave his boss a thumbs up when he got the message, and hurried off to where the samples were.

Corinne refocused on her client. 

"So Wonka what changes do you want for this factory first?" Corinne inquired. A man like him would seem so set in his ways that he wouldn't want to change anything about his factory.

"Well I think it's time for a change I've had this factory since I was 25 and now I'm 35, 10 years is a long time to keep things the same." Willy explained. Somehow his answer seemed to come from an older voice, a voice that was holding onto the past instead of letting go.

"I love a good makeover, especially if it's hands on." Corinne gave him a quick wink, adding emphasis on the suggestive language. She noted his age, and thought that anyone with that hairstyle would have to be going through his midlife crisis already. 

Beni hurried back and handed the tall woman her sucker. Corinne took it and thanked him.

When she removed the wrapping and tasted it she made sure to move her mouth lewdly and make eye contact with Wonka who was trying his hardest not to look at her mouth. Corinne locked eyes with him as the lollipop entered her mouth, and she noticed him slightly look down towards her lips. Wonka quickly straightened his gaze and focused on his minions making another batch of candy, but he couldn't help his eyes, which were focused on Corinne's lips. 

Corinne could not distinguish the taste, but then she knew all of a sudden what it was. Its taste so vague, and yet so familiar. An enigma to her taste buds and the more she licked and sucked the more she became confused. She knew exactly how Wonka was going to sell these.

"These lollipops are true mysteries. They don't have a flavor but they are very good. I'm not sure how you make such delectable candies, but you're very good at it." Corinne complemented. She knew that he had been glancing over at her while she ate the lollipop, and once she spoke he would have no choice but to look at her. And when he did look at her, eye contact and all, she made sure to show him the mouth work.

Wonka was feeling his pants getting tight, and was happy that he decided to put on some loose dress pants, and a longer cloak that day. His eyes were mesmerized by the way Corinne's tongue swirled around the lollipop, and the popping noise her lips made when she spoke.

"Are there anymore candies I should try or are we all done in this room?" Corinne asked. She was done teasing him with the lollipop and found a small waste bin next to the mixing vats. She bent over and disposed of her lollipop, giving Wonka a full view of her full tush.

Wonka had to clear his threat before answering, he was finding it harder to concentrate on her words rather than her assets.

"It's a Wonka exclusive trade secret to how I make all of the candles so darn good. Not even Charlie knows, but I am appreciative that I had someone else try the lollipops," he explained. Wonka took the opportunity while she was bent over to adjust his pants quickly.

Corinne walked over to him and waited for an answer to her other questions.

"I've let you try more candies than my lawyers would be comfortable with, so it's best that we make haste to leave this room, you know we can't let out the lovely aroma." Wonka reminded. He motioned for Corinne to follow him as he walked to the door on the opposite side of the room.

"Here's the tricky part. We have to fit through the door so that the smell doesn't escape, but we have to be quick. I'll hold it open enough so that you can walk through and I'll follow. Got it?" Wonka had to be very clear with her about the experimental mixing room, the air was hallucinogenic to the Oompa Loompas who didn't work in that room day to day, so it was best that they not be introduced to it.

Corinne nodded her head, affirming Wonka's orders. She was ready to slip out of the heavenly smelling room. 

Wonka opened the heavy oak door and swiftly switched sides so that he had his back to the door. Corinne brushed past him to get out, exciting the lump in his pants. As soon as Corinne cleared the door frame, Wonka stopped leaning on the door and let its heavy force slam it shut. 

Corinne checked her watch and saw that it was time for her to go back to her hotel room. Wonka checked his hidden watch too, and shared an understanding with her.

"When you get back to your room you should start looking for painting services, the room before the factory is quite intimidating with its industrial look." Willy ordered trying his hardest to keep his eyes on hers and nothing else. He walked a few feet ahead of her and pressed a button to call the elevator.

"Do you want them tomorrow? I know some people who could get it done by Friday." Corinne said. She was happy that he was finally getting her to work. 

  
  


"No, not tomorrow. I want the room to be painted next week. That will give me and the Oompa Loompas enough time to mark off all of the tunnels and doors in that room," he elaborated. 

The elevator came rushing to the other side of the mixing room. It was a wonder to know how many elevator tracks there were in that factory. 

Corinne and Willy entered the elevator, and both of them reached to press the lobby button. Wonka jerked his hand back, his germaphobia overriding his senses. Corinne brushed it off and hit the button.

They rode to the lobby in silence, not because they had nothing to say, but because both of them had remembered the song from one of the mixing rooms.

For Wonka that song shrunk any physical and emotional reactions to Corinne, and replaced them with embarrassment. He didn't have to worry about any body part named Peter making themselves noticeable anymore so that was a plus.

For Corinne that song made her uncomfortable, she liked looking at Wonka's physique, but had never thought about him in that way until the song brought it up. Now all she could think about was lifting her clients shirt up and letting her hands roam around his chest. She shook those thoughts out of her head as the elevator landed in the lobby.

Both of them exited the clear elevator and walked towards the main door. Corinne quickly put on her overcoat and gloves before she headed out.

"See you tomorrow Monsieur Wonka. I enjoyed today's tour." Corinne told Wonka.

"Have a nice day Corinne." Wonka replied. He watched her feminine figure leave the factory. 

Even though Wonka was entirely soft, he needed a cold shower. Something about Corinne had him all wound up on the inside.

He would try to figure her out tomorrow.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys aren't ready for Chapter 5 that's all I have to say.


	5. Sticky Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the reason why this work is listed as mature

The recycled hotel air was stiff when Corinne woke up. Her alarm was shouting the same message over and over "esnatu orain". She reached over to slap the alarm clock. It muted itself instantly. 

Corinne trudged out of bed and into the bathroom. She peed, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. For her 3rd day at the factory she decided on a simple ponytail for her hair. 

She picked out her outfit, but decided to check her phone first. A message from Wonka. It read:

_ Good morning. Bring an extra outfit today just in case _

A cryptic message from her client isn't what Corinne expected to start off her morning. She picked out two outfits, each one consisting of nice sweaters and high waisted skinny jeans. She also packed an extra set of undergarments, just to be safe. She had no idea what was about to become of her day.

Corinne walked out of her hotel room with her mauve coat on and a small tote bag containing her outfit and her shower cap. 

She walked the England streets, until she found her favorite café. It was a small French eatery with cozy elements. The staff knew her and they didn't bother to speak English. Her order was simple: two slices of brioche with butter and jam and a small mug of black coffee. 

This has been her breakfast since college. She adopted the light meal in Nice and kept it ever since. It was a classic part of her day, and it set the day up to be a good one.

"Bonjour pourrais-je avoir mon habituel?" She asked the stocky man who came to take her order. He nodded and went back to the kitchen to place her order. Corinne had a lot of jobs in the UK and found this place one day when she was wondering. She dined there every morning for breakfast.

Corinne wondered what Monsieur Wonka had in mind for the day. She knew they had been flirting for the past few days, but would he be so bold to make the first move? Now she was anxious to get into the factory.

Meanwhile Wonka was just getting his day started. He slept in today just to treat himself for showing self control around Corinne. For today's agenda he planned on giving her a tour of the taffy rooms. These rooms have been known for the faulty hardware that stretched the taffy. If Willy wanted any change to happen it would be in that taffy room, new equipment was needed immediately.

Wonka dressed in a basic outfit: a button up with his signature 'W' on the collar and a maroon sweater that he adjusted so the collar was sticking out. He chose his black cloak from yesterday and pants identical to the ones he was wearing yesterday. His signature Wonka boots were replaced by black vans, a shoe Wonka didn't care if it got dirty. 

He took his elevator down to the dining room where a plate of food was waiting for him. It was his usual breakfast, a stubborn man even when it came to breakfast. His breakfast was a waffle and a scrambled egg with a black tea. His meal had enough to sustain himself until dinnertime, with or without the Buckets. Wonka sat at his grand table all by himself, in the past Oompa Loompas would join him, and he would catch them here in-between shifts.

He ate his breakfast in silence and pondered on how firm Corinne's legs were. He had already seen her seductive lips which were enough to give him a stiffy, but her legs were another category. He could imagine them clearly, brown, long, and soft. The legs in stockings were tantalizing, the sound they made when they rubbed together, like muffled cicadas. He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on finishing his waffle, the last thing Wonka wanted was a soggy waffle.

After Wonka was done with his breakfast he was about to check-in on the Buckets and grab Charlie for the day, but then he remembered that they asked for privacy while they mourned. Mrs. Bucket informed Wonka that one week wasn't enough for Charlie and that he wouldn't be doing his mentee duties for two weeks. Wonka understood, but was very displeased, he was training someone to take over his life's work and that was being halted because an old man kicked the can. 

Now that Wonka had a bit of free time before Corinne arrived, he decided to spend it with the chiefs. Wonka used his phone to call the little people to the dining room for a meeting. 

While Wonka waited for them to show up, he took his plate and set it in the chute that led to the dishwasher. He sat back down and finished his tea. 

The little men entered the dining room from different tunnels and secret doors. All of them were wearing outfits that marked what they managed. They all sat at the table, waiting for Wonka to say something.

"This is an informal check-in. Yesterday there was an incident involving an inappropriate song and dance. I would like to make it very clear: I do not tolerate nonsense, and any nonsense that happens in my factory will be dealt with promptly. All of you know that I have handled the moles in my factory, and I would hate for that to happen again. Do better." William Wonka was sure that he scared them straight. They all looked at him and nodded, not needing any signing to understand what he was saying. Once they all nodded, Wonka shooed them away. 

He checked his phone, to make sure that he was keeping time. He was actually running a little late. He was supposed to be downstairs or making his way downstairs to greet Corinne in 5 minutes, and he was still nursing his cup of tea. 

Wonka hastily left the dining room, leaving behind his almost empty tea, to go meet Corinne at the front door. 

Wonka got to the front door, flushed again from his rush, and only had a minute to cool down. Corinne entered the factory exactly a minute after Wonka came down, and that was enough time for him to regain his color and composure. 

"Morning Corinne. I see that you got my text." Wonka greeted.

"Good morning Monsieur Wonka. I am anxious to find out why I have these clothes in my bag." Corinne responded. She hung her coat and bag up on the rack and walked towards Wonka. She held her hand out for a handshake, and was surprised when she felt his warm gloved hand in hers. He gave her a nice firm shake and walked towards the button for the elevator.

Corinne followed, curious as to what this day in the factory would hold.

"You just might need those clothes for where we're going today. It'll be a real hoot once we get there." Wonka told her. He looked at her outfit and was surprised to see how much of her legs he could see in her outfit. The outline of her muscular yet soft legs made ideas run wild in his mind.

Once the elevator arrived and both of them boarded it, Corinne saw Wonka press a button for the taffy room. The elevator took off, launching itself back up to the rest of the tracks.

"This room is the reason why I need you. The taffy stretchers sometimes go a little haywire, and I think it's time to get new taffy pullers. " Willy explained. He looked Corinne in the eyes and only saw curiosity back. She was really interested in this taffy room.

Corinne nodded back. She wasn't focused on his reasoning, and she just wanted to see what the taffy puller would do.

When the elevator finally stopped in front of the taffy room, Willy and Corinne exited the glass chamber. Wonka held the door open for her and followed her into the room.

"This is the cap and shoe station. Because of the many incidents and errors here, we now have to protect ourselves from this taffy. It's a heat seeking taffy that was supposed to be eaten in the dark, because it was supposed to find the consumer's mouth. Now it just seeps through clothes just to get to your skin." Wonka explained.

The room before the taffy room was like a small mudroom, and it had two hair caps on the hat hook. For shoes, two boxes built into the floor would cover the shoes in their own little cap when you stood in the box.

Corinne put on the cap that Wonka was providing, and didn't feel a need for her other cap anymore. The one on her head felt tight, snug, and it fit in all of her hair. It was the signature maroon color and had a small Wonka insignia on it. 

Wonka put on the cap, not wanting to ruin his tresses. His vans slid into their protective covering. Wonka watched as Corinne did the same. 

"Are you sure I don't need anything else? Just my head and shoes covered," Corinne asked. This was one of her favorite basic outfits, and she would hate for it to get taffied.

"No you'll be fine. The taffy is washable for clothes, although a little stubborn on skin. Shall we go in?" Wonka answered. Once he saw her nod, he carefully opened up the door to the taffy room, as if there was a horrible beast that didn't need to be woken up.

Corinne thought that as soon as she entered the room taffy would start flying at her. Instead the room was calm and quiet, except for the rhythmic sounds of the stretching taffy. It was too calm.

Wonka was surprised at how quiet it was, usually one machine was off beat with the rest of them. Everything was running smoothly. Too smooth.

"These taffy machines aren't usually so well behaved. They squeak and groan most of the time." Wonka clarified.

Right on cue, the rollers in one of the machines started to slow down. Wonka watched in horror and Corinne in excitement.

"Shit! I thought I fixed this the last time," Wonka exclaimed. He bent down to fix the machine, while also trying to keep his distance from the taffy. He tried unplugging the machine and plugging it back in but that didn't work.

The machine's roller was caught on a piece of taffy. Wonka tried to release the taffy piece, and after two tries he was able to. 

Unfortunately the roller was free, free to start spinning faster. As that roller spun faster, and the other roller stayed at the same pace, the taffy began flying into the air. 

Wonka was the first to be attacked by the taffy. It clung to his clothes first, then it slipped through his two layers and stuck to his chest. Other bits of taffy went through his clothing and stuck to his back, legs, and arms. Wonka was trying to shield himself from the attack, but it was no use, and his layers made him a prime target for the taffy.

Corinne was stunned as she saw the taffy fly into the air and latch onto Wonka's slim figure. Suddenly she felt a sticky substance coat her upper body. The taffy smelled like blackberries, which complemented its dark blue color. The taffy seeped through her clothes, colonizing her bare skin. She looked at her outfit, which was now covered in sticky taffy. 

"At least we covered our shoes, I made the shoe protectors taffy repellent so that you could at least walk out here. " Wonka said to her. As his body fought for mobility with the taffy, he managed to get the taffy to start stretching again.

"How do we get out now? I feel that my feet can move but my whole body is stuck together." Corinne asked. She looked at Wonka with hopeful eyes. He was the one who got them into this mess, surely he would know a way out.

"We'll go out the way we came. The elevator is right there, and the showers are a close ride in the elevator." Willy explained. He walked stiffly towards Corinne, who was closer to the door.

Corinne opened the door as best as she could, and when she extended her arm, the taffy shot up to her armpit. Wonka slid out before her, and held the next door open so that she could pass him.

They entered the elevator, and Wonka pressed the button for his suite. The elevator jolted up, ready to deliver the pass to the next destination.

"There's two rooms on my floor, so you can shower as well. The Oompa Loompas have already brought your clothes up to the room." He told her that so there were no surprises. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away.

The silence was deafening as they reached the rooms. They walked off the elevator and looked at each other. 

Wonka walked into his room on the left, leaving Corinne with the one on the right. Corinne walked into her room and found that her clothes were spread out across the bed. She walked into the bathroom and saw that there was a special bag for her taffied clothes. She stripped as best as she could, trying her hardest to not expose any warmer spots on her body to the taffy.

After she dropped her clothes in the bag, she went to the whirlpool shower. She saw that it had three different knobs, and buttons that she didn’t know. Asking Wonka was the only alternative, mainly because she didn't want to be blamed for breaking his shower. Corinne took one of the robes in the bathroom, and put it on. She walked over to Wonka's room and gave the door a good knock.

"Come in, " Wonka's voice echoed, and Corinne obeyed. She entered his room and was surprised to see how lavish his room was. He had maroon carpets and maroon walls. His canopy bed was an Alaskan King, which would leave anyone to believe Wonka likes his space. Corinne noted that the bed posts looked strong enough for tying someone up.

She drew her attention away from the bed and to the bathroom, where she heard running water. She opened the door shyly, not wanting to disturb Wonka's privacy. 

The only thing Corinne could see was a figure in the shower. He was scrubbing the taffy off of his body.

"Monsieur I do not know how to use the shower. Too many knobs and buttons." Corinne admitted to the steamy figure.

Wonka stuck his head out of the shower, and he still had his cap on.

"I'm also in need of assistance. A piece of taffy is stuck to my back and I can't seem to get it off," Willy said. He opened his shower enough to hand her the back scrubber.

Corinne didn't know why she took the scrub brush, but she could blame it on the part of her that wanted to see him naked.

"Understood," Corinne affirmed. She took off her robe, not wanting it to get wet while she scrubbed his back. She slid back the shower door so that she could get his back spotless without making the floor wet. She replaced the door once she was inside, and began her scrubbing.

She only had to scrub for 6 minutes, but it was the best six minutes she had in awhile. Wonka's backside was a work of art, chiseled yet plump, and all of the right muscles popped out. His back had some muscles defined, but it definitely wasn't the buffest back she had seen.

"All done Monsieur," Corinne notified him.

Wonka turned around to thank her for her favor, but was astounded to see that Corinne was also naked.

"Where's your robe?" He asked. Blood started to rush to his groin as he observed her body. Her even brown skin made her body glow like a goddess in the steam. Droplets from the shower and her sweat rolled off all of her curves. Wonka couldn't help but stare as a water droplet left her nipples. 

"I didn't want to get my robe wet so I took it off." Her Basque accent rolled off thick with her explanation. 

"I hope you don't mind," Corinne's accent combined with suggestion was enough to cause a chain reaction.

The adults stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Corinne focused on his growing member, which had to be at least seven inches. It's girty-ness was a surprise to Corinne, none of her previous partners were that thick. Wonka focused her curvy shape, an hourglass with more dips.

The sexual tension was too much to bear, and Wonka set his lips down unto hers. She reciprocated immediately, her mouth tasted his pink lips. As she was kissing him in the shower she noticed that he wasn't anemic, or just naturally pale, he had a tan, and a nice one at that. His skin was the perfect shade of sand. Evenly pigmented, and gorgeous in many ways. If she ever wanted to know why he wore powder she would have to ask when they weren't so occupied.

Corinne also noticed that the taffy was falling off of her skin, it ran down her body with the water, and went down the drain.

Wonka's dick brushed up against Corinne's toned legs, and Wonka felt ready to bust. Shower sex always turned him on to the highest degree. His sensitivity was also high, and he was reacting to every touch. He broke their kiss to open the shower door. He opened one of the sink drawers and pulled out a foil package.

Corinne took the condom out of his hand. She opened up the package, and gave Wonka a few strokes with her hand before she put it on. No foreplay was necessary, and Corinne spread her legs so that Wonka could feel how wet she was.

Wonka reached his hand towards her center and gave her lips a good feel. His hands were drenched in her juices, but he continued with his tour of her lower body. He let his finger brush against her clit and felt her buck her hips towards him.

Wonka had enough of teasing her. His lips captured hers again. Wonka broke away abruptly. He knew that this would cross so many professional boundaries but that's not what he was stopping for.

"Can we…?" Wonka asked for consent gesturing between the two of them.

"Oui. Baise moi," Corinne responded. As soon as she said yes, Wonka was prepared to slip inside. 

He started off slow, knowing that past guys and gals needed time to adjust to his length and width. Once Corinne nodded, he lifted her long frame up and pressed her against the glass door.

He kept even strokes that hit Corinne's g-spot. She moaned at the sudden impact and dug her nails into his back.

"Merde! Tu es si serré," Wonka breathed out. He had never been in something so tight, this was probably why his previous roommates fucked a vacuum cleaner. Corinne's walls were taught against him, and every time he hit her spot she would clench harder.

"I do kegel exercises every night," Corinne retorted. She brought Wonka's neck back down, to secure his lips in a kiss. He kissed back and went in deeper.

"Merde Will, mon dieu tu es bien," The French slipped out of her mouth accompanied by a moan. Wonka groaned as she squeezed him tighter. Both of them were moaning messes, as Wonka started to go faster. 

Corinne started to feel her pleasure build up, and she placed Wonka's hand over her clit. He began fast circular motions and enjoyed feeling constricted by her walls.

Wonka's strokes got lazy as he felt himself reaching his peak. Corinne's tight grip was enough to keep him spewing out moans. He kept going a few strokes longer before he emptied himself into the condom.

Just the thought of him finishing was enough to send Corinne off the rails, and the last strokes combined with the pleasure from her clit made her explode. She clenched tightly around him, giving her over sensitive body more pleasure. Wonka extracted himself from her very carefully, and both of them shivered from the emptiness.

Wonka rolled the protection off, tied it in a knot and opened the shower door to toss it in the garbage. He rinsed off, and let Corinne use the shower. Wonka hopped out of shower and went to get dressed on his bed. He still wasn't sure on what just happened between them in the shower, but he knew that he would have to get inside her again, once he tried it, it was addictive.

Corinne finally got the opportunity to soap herself up. She cleansed the taffy smell off with Wonka's soap that smelled like wood chips. If that's what Wonka smelled like all the time, she would have to take advantage of all of the secret doors. Corinne finished washing up and exited the shower. On the sink counter, Wonka left a maroon towel for her to use. Corinne dried off and found herself in Wonka's giant bed.

They were kissing again, completely naked, and Wonka was already wearing protection. Corinne knew instantly that she was wet enough to do without foreplay. She motioned for Wonka to roll over so that she was on top and he obeyed.

Corinne reached for his dick and lowered herself onto him. It was pure ecstasy to be stretched again, and Willy couldn’t deny how good and tense she felt. 

"Oh fuck! Will you're stretching me out," Corinne shouted. Her moans were turning into screams and she hadn't even done anything yet.

Willy hissed at how clinched she felt. A reflex made his hips buck up into hers. Both of them exclaimed at the pleasure 

Corinne bent over and began to leave a trail of marks from his faint abs, to just under his chin. She raised her hips slightly and made eye contact with those violet eyes. A reaction was seen, as he rolled his eyes back. 

Willy didn't think he was going to last long in this position. He moved his hands so that one was on her hip, and the other was pleasuring her core. Her grip was defeating his ability to hold on. 

Corinne found a solid pace to ride and was only able to keep at it for about two minutes. Wonka was meeting her with equal thrusts, nearly overwhelming her each time. A synchronized orgasm was how cowgirl ended. Wonka was too overcome with pleasure to look at her, he kept his eyes shut, and let everything rush over him. 

Corinne got off of him as he fell limp, and excused herself. She considered taking another shower at the factory, before deciding that it was best to go back to her hotel. She saw the way he was splayed out the giant bed, that she would have to give him a few.

"I'm going to get dressed now. I'll see you in front of the elevator in fifteen. Yes?" Corinne told him. 

"Yes," Wonka breathed shakily. That woman did things to his manhood he would never recover from. She left him in the room all by himself. Willy combatted his jelly legs and got dressed in something decent. A button up and a pair of slacks. Wonka decided to omit the overcoat and he looked for a nice pair of gloves. He found his favorite maroon gloves and popped those on. He also changed into a pair of Wonka boots. His cane closet hadn't enticed Wonka as he was getting dressed. His past sports injury didn't need to be remedied by a cane that day, so he went without it. 

His top hat was the last thing he grabbed before he exited his room, and he didn't even bother to powder his face. He met up with Corinne at the end of the hallway right on time. They boarded the elevator, and Corinne pressed the lobby button.

"You clean up nice." Corinne commented. Wonka's hair looked a bit rough from their entanglement, but he definitely looked good. His face looked much more lively now that he had taken off his powder.

"Do you want to try to have a professional relationship after this?" Wonka asked, hoping the answer would be yes and no.

"If you think you can control yourself around me, I see no reason why it wouldn't work," Corinne stated.

The elevator was almost by the lobby, and Wonka was anxious to see her leave for the day. She was an enigma, made just to confuse his feelings by giving him exactly what he wanted.

"Then we shall focus on keeping it professional. I do not have any plans on changing that in the future. " Willy Wonka affirmed with the tip of his hat. 

When the elevator stopped at the lobby, Corinne swiftly made her way to the coat rack, she was in a race to get out of there so that she could figure out what she had just done. 

Wonka strode over to her, wanting to make sure that they ended today on a good note. 

Corinne dressed in her coat and pulled her low pony out from inside of it. She had a feeling that her clothes would be returned to her tomorrow, so she didn't worry about those.

"I enjoyed today's events, Monsieur. See you tomorrow," Corinne told him. She faced Wonka for his reply.

"I didn't regret it at all. See you tomorrow Corinne," Wonka said as he waved her goodbye. She swung the door open and was no longer in the chocolate factory. 

Wonka turned right back around after she left. He was going to his room to ponder on what the hell he just did. He was so confused at how he allowed himself to have a quickie with his interior designer. 

So much for figuring out Corinne today.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does Wonka go through during a busy morning and afternoon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded this at 4 am, and if it has any mistakes I'm not fixing them until the afternoon.

"So Mr. Wonka, you're in the clear. Even though you were in the area near murder, they can’t try you for Miranda's death. They can't even connect you to her parents. You still have the location history on your phone right?" That was the voice of the head of Wonka's legal team. Mr. Burbank was sitting in front of Wonka in the maroon office.

"Yes. I would never think to delete that. Doris took my phone behind a café near that wretched house." Wonka explained. Even though Wonka already chose Charlie to be the winner of the factory, he still had the other contestants to deal with. He absolutely didn't want the 6th ticket winner anywhere near his factory. She and her parents were pompous brats who held their snooty noses high because they came from ancient British nobles. Absolutely insufferable.

"Mr. Wonka, as your lawyer I would refrain from answering any questions about that family's death. You avoid most of the media already so it shouldn't be that hard." Burbank told him.

"Of course. I policed my brass after putting 2 in their chests and skull. Taking people out in the night always gives me such a rush. I have no intention of letting anyone other than you two know." Wonka was referring to Ms. Jordan who was also a part of his legal council. She shifted her pencil skirt uncomfortably after Wonka said how he killed them.

"God Wonka, now I know more about the crime than I feel comfortable with. You really ought to find a hobby, besides killing annoying kids, and sneaky competitors." Burbank suggested.

"She forced my hand, well her father did. I had a powder that gave kids spots for a few hours, and her schoolmaster father would've flipped if I unveiled it during the tour." Wonka sighed before continuing. "I didn't want him to have a heart attack in the middle of my factory tour. Imagine the smudge his big body would make on my freshly polished floors." 

"Mr. Wonka, it was a pleasure to finally get this matter sorted out. Anna and I have to figure out how we'll get you off the hook for Federico's death." Mr. Burbank and Ms. Jordan saw themselves out of the warm office. Wonka was happy to see them go.

Wonka glanced at the clock, 12:08, he had been in that legal meeting for two hours, where he was advised on how to proceed with handling the media after he killed those people.

"I only have 22 minutes before the meeting with the accountants, who knows how long that'll take, and to top it all off I have to pretend like nothing happened with her," Wonka said to himself. He dreaded his meetings that would take up a substantial amount of time in his day. All of his lawyers and accountants hung over him like a dead horse. Thankfully he won't have to have a meeting with the patent people. Those meetings dragged on, and Wonka thought about how he was going to have Charlie attend his next meeting with them.

He reached for his notepad and flipped to a clean page. He scribbled: 

_ Have Corinne sign a NDA _ .

Wonka couldn't risk having another snitch in his factory, and he was tired of paying them well deserved visits in the middle of the night, that lead to the traitor's body being found in the morning with a snapped neck. But Wonka couldn't kill Corinne, he was attached to her from whatever spell was placed upon him during their afternoon affairs yesterday. God, that woman did things to him that made his legs feel weak just thinking about it.

After his financial meeting, which dragged on for 2 hours, Wonka found himself in a quick session with his therapist. The little man was such a good listener. Simon was paying attention to every word he said.

"Why am I so attracted to Corinne? Lust isn't something I've felt in a long time, no need for mentioning him _ and _ her. Yesterday was… an experience. I'm sure your nosy Oompa Loompa friends told you everything they heard. My dry spell ended, and now I feel like a slut." Wonka was exasperated, his feelings that were once bottled up were out, and he had to work through them.

_ Why is she different? Does it have something to do with your previous exes?  _

Simon signed most of his questions and comments to Wonka, because he found that if and when he spoke, Wonka would talk less.

"Even though I said I didn't want to talk about them, I'll elaborate. They didn't have such an effect on me when I first met them. Clara and I were never a good match, she was just… no. And well, Nick wasn't enough on anything, I'm pretty sure he was just gay for the stay. I looked him up a few months after we ended it, he was back with his ex-girlfriend. He used me to see if he was gay or not. At least he learned what he was missing out on." Wonka's purple eyes were set on the mirror across the room. He stared at himself and began again.

"I'm getting older, and feel like I need to settle sometime. Maybe I want someone to hang over me like a dead goose. I'm lonely, alone and single." This revelation was a surprise to Simon. Wonka barely went into why his past relationships failed, and he never bothered to acknowledge them.

_ Are you rethinking wanting a nuclear family? _ Simon wanted to get to the bottom of these feelings, so that Wonka didn't spiral into another depressive episode. He only went into those episodes when he thought about all of the mistakes he made, and all of his regrets.

"No. I'm decided on children, I absolutely do not want any, just the thought of that so ew. Marriage is another thing entirely. Charlie lacks the companionship that I would need from someone, and I wouldn't burden him with myself, he doesn't need to know all the ins and outs of my mind. A husband would be harder for me to find. No one would date a reserved chocolatier who wears white powder to fool the press, especially not a man. A wife might be better, although I have to watch out for gold diggers, they are the worst. Always trying to zap your funds, funneling money into an offshore account. The other ones I hate are the stealthers, I've been almost trapped into having a kid too many times. They poked holes in the protection, wrapped tight legs around my waist, trying to get me under the influence with whatever pills and drinks they got off the street. But a true woman would be OK. Someone I can relate feelings to." Wonka answered.

_ Are you ready for a "true woman".  _

Simon was intrigued by Wonka's perspective on marriage. All of the Oompa Loompas never would've thought that Wonka would be talking about commitment, especially romantically. It wasn't because Wonka was a hoe, but he never had his mind set on being in a committed relationship. Wonka liked to find people who were temporary, and that stemmed from his trust issues with people.

"I would have to be with one for me to answer unbiased. Yes I do think I am ready for that commitment. I don't want to get excited though, the last time I thought something was true was when my father told me I was going to a good private school, and then he sent me to a naval academy in Bethesda." Wonka responded with a reflective tone. He stopped looking at his reflection in the mirror, and focused his attention on the little man in the giant chair.

_ We worked through some very important things today. You may see yourself out.  _ Simon waved at Wonka, and left the room through one of the secret doors.

Wonka looked once more at his reflection, his dark bangs that sat high on his head were stuck to his forehead by sweat. Everytime Simon told him he had worked through something it made Wonka feel like something was about to ruin that progress.

William Wonka was back in his office, and he was drafting up a standard Non-disclosure Agreement, and his busy fingers were typing on his Wonka laptop.

A knock on the door disturbed his comfortable peace. Thinking it was Doris, or another little worker who wanted something to be signed, he resigned his laptop to a corner of his mahogany desk.

"Come in," Wonka squeaked.

Brown hair peeked through the wide doors.

"Hi Mr. Wonka. Don't tell my mom that I came here, she'd have my hide for not staying with my family." Charlie's eyes were red from all the crying he did, and yet his voice was youthful. He slithered into the grand office and set down in one of the chairs, facing his mentor.

"So Charlie, why did you come here? Your mother had you take the next few days off," Willy asked the twelve year old. 

"I miss having something to do. Usually I would help you think up new ideas for candies, or even learn how some of the machines work."

"Do you have any good candy ideas?"

"Well what about sour straws that grow longer when they touch spit?"

"Sounds interesting enough, but you'll have to sit through the patent meeting with me." Wonka absent-mindedly thought about his own straw growing longer in Corinne's mouth. The fleeting thought escaped his mind before he could register it.

"That's the only idea I had for you. The funeral for Grandpa George is on Sunday. Dad bought me a suit for it, and I think it's a bit uncomfortable." 

"You'll get used to the suits, I was wearing them when I was younger than you. When you get to run this factory you might not even wear business clothes, your generation doesn't really believe in looking the part."

"Mum was going to ask you if you wanted to come on Sunday, but she changed her mind. Says that it should just be family only. If only mum knew that I consider you a part of my family, like a cool older brother."

"My dear boy, I wouldn't want to upset your m-m-m-other, to be entirely honest with you, she scares me a bit. Don't let her know I said that." Wonka still had troubles with family-related words, but it was getting better. 

"Mr. Wonka why do you use a cane, you look like you walk fine. Pardon my rudeness, I just really want to know." Charlie's blue orbs peered into Wonka's purple ones.

"That’s a long story, but to sum it up for you, don't play football at a naval academy without very strong knee pads." Wonka didn't like thinking about the events that happened at that horror of a school, especially not his life-long injury. That school was where he discovered his attraction to men, and the young ladies boarding school was where he found that he liked both.

"I didn't know that soccer would cause someone to use a cane for the rest of their life, maybe I should stop playing football with the boys during recess." Charlie has always been very cautious, and he would stay away from anything he had heard was dangerous.

"No. American football, not your European scam of a sport, anyway that's not important, it happened and now I use a cane. Anymore questions?" Wonka hoped that the answer would be no, but given the boy's curious nature, he prepared to answer another question.

"Why did you leave dinner early that night, Mum had a brilliant idea for candy and you left before you could hear it." Charlie inquired.

Wonka let out a sigh. Charlie was referring to the night when he took out Miranda's family. Why did kids have such good memories?

"I had a business meeting that I forgot about, I'm always involved in important meetings about the competition," Wonka lied.

"Oh alright. I think I ought to head back home, Mum probably thinks I've fallen off the face of the Earth by now. I told her I was going for a walk to clear my head for a bit. See you later Mr. Wonka." Charlie headed for the door, and before he left the spacious office he received a wave from his mentor.

And just like that Wonka was alone again.

  
  
  
  



	7. Feelings Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Take a glimpse into Corinne's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The French brain took over. Sorry to all of the British people.

Cool jazz swept through the lofty apartment, and the muscular woman sat with a phone in between her shoulder and her ear, while her hands were occupied with laundry. Her soft voice complemented her romance language as she spoke with her friend.

“Vous eut le special Wonka? How was it?”

“Being slammed against the sliding glass door isn’t what I would consider to be the Wonka special, but it sure was enjoyable. What a piece of man.” 

“Corinne you live a very exciting life. Sex with the boss on like your third day? Tres risque. Sometimes I don’t see Damon until he comes back from deployment, and even then he’s too tired to perform.”

“Nathalie, me and Wonka are more like co-workers, as a matter of fact I will be going in late tomorrow, we’ll finally start drafting up the work to be done. And we agreed to keep it professional, so even if I wanted another look at his body I can’t have it.”

“Cory don’t start now, you know what agreeing to be professional means, and he’s been locked up in that factory for years he’s the literal definition for touch starved. I say go for it, jump him, get on that. Get the barre de  chocolat blanc.”

“Nat buzz off, don’t you have muscle to build or something. Damon told me that he likes it when you suffocate him with your thighs. You guys should think of getting soundproof walls, the whole of Nantes can probably hear you.”

“No I’ve built enough muscle, and my tennis match isn’t for another week. Hey, you changed the subject. Enough about me and Damon. When will you find a nice Basque boy to settle down with, just like your parents want. I think that they’re so desperate to cook for more than two people they’ll let you marry a French man.”

“Settling down is the last thing on my mind. None of the Basque boys are remotely attractive and I'm pretty sure my parents still think I'm a good Catholique girl. I'm focused on finishing this chocolate factory, which is a big project. I might have to find an apartment and apply for a work visa."

"Ask to move in with him, you’ve always been straightforward with what you want. I presume you made a good impression.”

“Oui, from his neck to his chest, lots of impressions. I’ve said too much. Au revoir Nathalie. I'll tell you when I'm back home."

"Just like that? That rude American is starting to rub off on you. Don't be a stranger and don't miss my tennis match. Au revoir Corinne. J'aime vous mon amie."

Did Nathalie have to pry into her life like that? 

Corinne was enjoying a walk down Cherry Street looking at Wonka's original store. Another vibration came from her left side. She picked her phone again.

"Bonjour Mamam, comment ça va?" A call from her mother was not what she needed right now. That judgy woman could make a newborn guilty 

"Comment ça va? Tu ne m'as pas appelé depuis une semaine. Ton père et moi étions inquiets." Her mother didn't sound pleased at all. It was probably because she couldn't helicopter around Corinne all the time. The perks of leaving the nest when you're an only child.

Of course her parents were worried, they had easy jobs which gave them nothing to do except bother their daughter. 

"Inquiets? Je suis bien. Tu inquiète trop." Corinne had stopped in front of the newspaper stand. She picked up the folded paper and read the headline.

_ Schoolmaster and family found dead in estate _

"Que faites-vous?"

"Journal. Il y a une histoire horrible sur un meurtre." Corinne wasn't surprised to see that a murder had happened in England, that place was filled with cops who would love to be paid to look the other way. At least it was 100 km away (63 miles). 

"Tu devrais rentrer à la maison, ce n'est pas en sécurité là-bas." 

"Mon dieu, you worry too much it happened 100km away. Like I said I'm fine. English people are odd." 

"L'homme ñ'est-il pas britannique?"

"No. He's some sort of American. Not very keen on handshakes. He’s probably from Ohio, I heard those Americans were weird.”

“Il sonne impoli comme un américain.”

“He hasn’t been rude to me, he’s been very nice. I’m still getting a tour of the factory so I don’t know everything about the man. Anyway how’s Dad?"

"Ton père est bon. Êtes-vous allé à la communion? Sinon je dois prier pour toi."

"I'm already confirmed, what's the big deal? No, I didn't go to communion, I'm in England and I only brought one church outfit and I'm not sitting in a long service."

"Parfois ton père et moi nous demandons si vous êtes vraiment catholique. Je dois prier pour toi maintenant. Passe une journée bénie Corinne."

"So dramatic. Au revoir Maman." Before Corinne could finish that last sentence she heard the dial tone.

At least she got her mother out of the way. 

Corinne was content with walking down Cherry Street and looking at the old shops that were like preserved history. The industrial factory loomed over the quiet streets in the distance, it's presence was always known because of the smog from the smoke towers. The bitter December winds swept the smoke away swiftly.

The original Wonka shop was where she ended up. The shop smelled just like sugar, but sweeter, and with a hint of magic.

The Wonka bars were glistening in their red and brown wrappers, and they were lined up neatly among the shelves. The Everlasting Gobstoppers had a shiny jacket that was twisted at both ends.

Taffy of all flavors were in wick baskets marked with flavor categories. Small skinny sign stands marked the price.

A man behind the counter was the only other person in the shop.

"What can I interest you in today? If you're feeling conflicted. Try Wonka's famous Decision Taffy. I remember when he came out with that candy. When I tried it, I made the decision to work in this store."

"I'm not conflicted, just feeling a bit unsure. 

How much for one?"

"It's a 3 for €1 deal. These are possibly the cheapest Wonka candies, and they sell like crazy." The man flashed a crooked smile. 

Corinne slid the taffy and the note over the counter, and tried not to laugh. All her life in France and in the US, Corinne has heard of British teeth, but she never expected to see them. As much as Corinne hated stereotypes, she couldn't help but be amused by this one.

His teeth were skinny and wild. They were stained more shades of brown and yellow than Dwight Schrute's wardrobe. A gnarly crossbite that was sure to cause problems with eating was very evident. Yet he looked happy.

The man bagged up her taffy and waved her off. Corinne left the store in a hurry, in need of oxygen.

As soon as she was a few storefronts down, Corinne was in hysterics. The taffy in the bag jumping with her ragged breaths. Her laughter subsided and her spatial awareness came back. The thought of being judged by the pedestrians brought her mother's nagging voice back into her head, and her face went stoic. 

Remembering the brown bag in her hand, Corinne unrolled it and took the octogonal shaped taffy out. The wrapper slipped off in one swift motion, and the taste of coffee replaced her stale breath.

A calm like no other washed over, and she began walking. Corinne wasn't focused on where she was going and it wasn't even a thought on her mind. Her major stressors came to front. The anxiety of moving to a foreign country, the looming thought that her mother might arrange a marriage for her, the toll of renovating an entire factory, and her feelings about yesterday.

_ Baise _ .  _ Not yesterday. This is more like a truth taffy. _

Committing to live in England, fully undecided. It would mean living in England, possibly the factory, for a few years, or however long it takes to transform a factory that sits on a few acres. Just seeing every single room would take her at least a year.

The pros and cons of committing to the metal tin of confections were weighed, and the taffy did it’s job. The reputation Corinne had was as a finisher, not a quitter Why change that now? She could get used to the rain and the abhorrent teeth, and she enjoyed a good cup of tea. The flight wasn’t even that long to go back home. If Corinne lived in the UK it would be harder for her mother to marry her off. Not impossible though. 

Yesterday blitzed through her mind. She hooked up with her boss, on her third day. 

_ Why did I do that? Why not? _

Her voice of reasoning was gone when it came to this, and instead was replaced with desire. A mysterious candy chocolatier invited you and you only to his factory. Who wouldn’t feel special. Corinne wasn’t entirely sure why he had owned his factory to her or what to make of him, but she knew one thing. It would be a struggle trying to think innocent thoughts around him.

The effects of the taffy started to wear off and Corinne took notice of where she was. Surrounding her, were evergreen trees and bushes. Under her feet, was a dirt path, with fresh bike tire marks. Apparently she was in a park, or a forest. There were arrows tacked to some of the fuller trees that pointed to some place. she trotted on towards the arrows and walked into a small garden. Snowdrops were growing in neat rows and Crocuses were growing opposite of them. Just like in the candy shop, Corinne was alone. Her thoughts were free to roam this secluded space and so was she.

In this secret garden, safety was guaranteed. Just on the other side of the hedges was the rest of Cherry Park, and everyone knew of the small flower nursery. But to Corinne, this was private. If she wasn’t in deep thought, she would be able to hear the kids playing or the adults talking. Corinne wasn’t there physically, and could feel herself becoming more and more detached. In some time Corinne was joined with her human for again.

Corinne left her deep thoughts with the secret garden and joined the rest of the people in Cherry Park. Eventually, Corinne made her way out of the park. Her day ended with her settled in her hotel room reading up on liminal spaces.

  
  
  
  



	8. Let's Get it Started

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen when Corinne ventures solo into the factory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such a long break because I had essays to write, but 3.7k words to make up for it. My biggest fear is that I switch between the different spellings of Corinne. Enjoy!

Working late is always the hardest. When doctors, nurses, and other medical staff have to go in for that 3:00/night shift, it's hard for them to leave on time. You've already let the first half of the day pass you by. The night shift in itself isn't hard, but it all depends on what happens. 

What is expected of you if you start working at 3:00? How long until you can no longer function the same? What is the difference in awareness when you work a night shift versus day shift? Anything can happen. 

Entering through the side gate was a very clear instruction from Monsieur Wonka. The unmarked press vans sat outside of the main gate, waiting for someone to walk through them. Corinne had only walked through them once, the day she arrived at the factory. It was Wonka's way of formally welcoming her. The media got word that someone had used the main gate at the mysterious factory, and they were all over it.

Thankfully the side gate and main door had some obscurity, making sure that no one could find a way in or who was going in.

Corinne had experienced side entrances before. Husbands who had jealous wifes, forcing her to enter through back and side doors. Sneaking back into her college dorm before her roommate, who was a real light sleeper, woke up and had a conniption fit. Punching in codes had become a habit anytime she worked with clients who had a lot of land.

Walking to the main doors felt like Big Brother, a camera was attached to a branch on the sparsely placed hedges. The cameras were neatly aligned 1 meter away from each other on the black fence. Her footsteps in the snow were quickly covered up by the diligent workers, leaving no evidence that she had ever walked there.

The factory doors, which were replaced with more size appropriate panels, welcomed a flurry covered head. The big chocolatey flavor was still pleasing to her nose, and it was definitely linked to a dopamine rush. She hung her coat on the rack and was startled to see four Oompa Loompas drying her shoes. They took the dryer and circled around her feet, and used their strong heavy hands to force her feet to drag back and forth on the velvet. Her shoes were now completely dry, and hopefully she would be able to proceed in the factory without any more checkpoints.

“For you.” Another set of little hands handed her a clipboard and a pen.

“Oh, thank you.” Corinne accepted the clipboard and pen. She noticed that it didn’t have a map, or any other information about the factory.

“Is there a map?” She asked. Factories were generally large, and this was no exception. Her estimate was 10 acres, but with no map, she had no way of confirming any of her suspicions.

The Oompa Loompa who handed her the map just looked at her and laughed, then he ran into one of the trapdoors. A different Oompa Loompa pointed out the Glass Elevator, and like the previous Oompa Loompa, they disappeared through a trapdoor.

“Okay then… I guess I’ll just get lost in an American-British factory, nothing could possibly go wrong.” Corinne made her way to the elevator, and once she got inside she was relieved. There was a button for Willy Wonka’s office, the one place where she knew she would find him, if needed.

The buttons were overwhelming, they led to different rooms with odd names, and there were at least 50 buttons. If those buttons led to rooms spread across the factory, Corinne would probably have to brace for whiplash. An important note filled the top part of the paper:  _ How fast can the elevator go? OSHA violation? Who designed this factory? _

“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Corinne hesitantly whispered as she pressed a button and braced for movement. She looked at the activated button, “Jelly Bean Room”, an innocent sounding room. The elevator veered off its track, it was going up diagonally, speeding past rooms. There was no way to describe the confused amazement Corinne was in when she saw Fudge Mountain. The mountainside had a few Oompa Loompas in thick parkas with wheelbarrows and pickaxes. It was starting to seem like 160 Oompa Loompas was an undercount, a dramatic one.

The elevator leveled out as it reached a platform. “Jelly Beans” was scribed in gold in front of a small steel door. Corinne stepped off the elevator and into the room. There she was greeted by two little workers who handed her a flashlight. Both of them put a finger to their mouths to tell her to be quiet.

The lights went out and Corinne moved deeper into the room. Her flashlight shined on wooden signs and dirt. Then it clicked. It was a bean nursery, but that didn’t explain why the lights were out, or why she had to be silent. The flashlight beamed over a sign. “Mandrake Beans”. 

“Mandrake? That doesn’t make any sense. There is a saying about the roots-”

“Shh!” One of the Oompa Loompas said. They were right by the stalk of Mandrake beans. They stuck their hand into the stalk and retrieved a few beans. Corinne pointed her flashlight at the ceiling so that she could see better. The Oompa Loompa handed her the beans.

“Can I try them?” She questioned. The small worker nodded. Corinne tilted her hand towards her mouth. Two beans fell in and let out a blood-curdling shriek. Then the other beans in her hand started to scream. Soon the whole plant bed of Mandrake beans were screaming.

“Mon dieu!” Corinne could feel the screams in her bones and dropped the beans from her mouth onto the floor. The screams only got worse and she felt like her brain was going to explode. Then the bouncing started. The vibrations from the screaming beans caused the rest of the beans to start jumping. Using what vision her flashlight gave her, Corinne booked it. She ran out of the room and into the waiting elevator. Safe inside of the elevator, she saw the two Oompa Loompas come out. They were giggling and making gestures towards her. One of them even imitated how she ran.

“I just had to say what could go wrong, didn’t I?” 

Once she caught her bearings, Corinne noticed something odd. She was sure that this was the same elevator that took her to the bean room. The elevator presented her with a new set of buttons: one button to go left, another button for the right, and the option to go diagonally in each plane. The large glass pane gave Corinne the ability to see down the hall, and past the bean room, there was another platform. 

The map that the Oompa Loompa gave her earlier did not help her at all. There was no way of telling what floor it represented, or if there even was a floor. It was a nightmare to look at, the rooms weren't labeled and the dimensions were otherworldly.

Not wanting to become scrambled eggs, Corinne pressed the button to the next platform.

Without messing up the inertia in Corinne's body, the elevator moved to the next platform. The elevator let the woman out in front of another set of doors, this room had a silver plaque instead of gold.

_ What do the plaque colors mean? _

A simple note was scribed. Hesitantly, Corinne read the plaque, "Ice Cream Pt. 1"

This room seemed much more innocent, what could a bit of ice cream do? 

As soon as she stepped in the room, Corinne felt goosebumps arise. The thermostat on the wall read 30°F, which was below freezing in Celsius. The room's blue light made it seem even colder.

The room, which seemed deeper than the last, had massive industrial freezers, giant spoons, and frozen mixing bowls. Ice cream was definitely in abundance, with exotic flavors like: Rambutan Sweat, Camel Milk, Bark Smoothie, and Birch Beer. 

_ Mr. Wonka certainly was an innovator. _

Instead of walking on whatever flooring this factory had (it seemed to change everyday and every room), the floor was covered in ice. A clear thick layer of ice, like a frozen lake.

An Oompa Loompa, who came out of nowhere, put the laces to two skates on Corinne's pinky finger, and as it came out of nowhere, back to nowhere it disappeared. 

Corinne had not yet stepped out on the ice, the platform from which she entered the rooms, kept her about a meter above the ice. Just below the thermostat, there was a conveniently placed bench. Corinne sat down her clipboard, pen, and map, and put on the skates. Usually she would've been thinking about foot fungus from using skates, but the ones she had, smelled like alcohol or some other high grade cleaner.

Somehow the skates fit like a glove, and they laced up like a charm. This would be deserving of a note, but anticipation to get on the ice consumed her. 

"It has been awhile since I've been skating, hoping that I don't fall on my culo."

The first sounds of scraping set her at ease. Even though the room was vast, it was best to walk instead of skate, especially because it looked like virgin ice.

Slowly stepping, Corinne looked at the machinery first. The frosted bowls were mixing some flavor, it already looked creamy enough, the blades whipping the cream with ease. She saw a line in the bowl, an indicator of when to stop mixing the ice cream. The ice cream was at 1.5 meters, and it needed to teach the 3 meter mark. The wide bowl was set in the floor, so Corinne could see both of the markings clearly, without them clearing her head.

The mixing hook was standard, the blades efficiently moved around the bowl, folding and aerating the frozen treat, but there was a flaw. The blades did not reach the bottom of the bowl, nor did they move in an inconsistent shape. The bottom of the bowl would continue to get no attention, and the consistency in the circles, meant that the process of mixing would take longer.

In her head, Corinne was already working out a new design for the hook. Notes that would be transferred to paper were taken, and her observation continued.

The ice cream in the frozen bowls did not have any labels, and the blue light did not help to determine what they might be. The bowls were divided by contaminants: Eggs, nuts, dairy, and surprisingly shellfish.

The shellfish section would tease any curious person's mind, and that was no exception for Corinne. Going at a slow speed, she glided over to the shellfish corner. Opting to stop at the freezer instead of the mixing bowl, she had much better luck at finding out the flavors.

"Wonka's Fantabulous Shrimp Stir-Fry.

Wonka's Original Lobster Bisque. 

Wonka's Amazing Conch Fritters."

In the igloo, each name echoed off the walls, sounding more ridiculous than when they came out of her mouth the first time.  _ 3 _ shellfish flavored ice creams, and most likely more if this was just part one. The containers of ice cream, which did not go by pints, quarts, or gallons, had a graphic of what it was supposed to look like. The stir fry had an image of shrimp and various pieces of rice and vegetables encased in whatever thick looking ice cream base that was. The lobster bisque had flayed pieces of lobster sticking out of an artificial orange color, but upon further inspection, Corinne found a text on the container that stated the ice cream had no artificial colors or flavors. Odd. The conch fritter container had its graphic frosted over, but Corinne could make out little fritters in a slightly tan cream, the lighting in the freezer corrected the blue light, and revealed that the ice cream was actually beige. 

Being chilled for about 15 minutes, had started to get uncomfortable. Corinne slowly pushed off in the direction of the platform, and made it there with relative ease. She unlaced and slipped off her skates, and scribbled some quick notes before putting on her regular shoes. 

She exited the igloo, and joined back with the glass coffin. After being in a simulated Greenland, Corinne chose any room that sounded warm.

\---

“Corinne, you’re here a little early”

“To be early is to be on time, and to be on time is to be late, Monsieur.”

Wonka sat at his desk, his eyes grazing a report. He looked up at the woman in the doorway, and motioned for her to sit at the chair in front of him. Once Corinne sat, he shuffled a few papers and cleared his throat.

“I will ask you about what rooms you visited, in a moment, because I have something pressing to address right now.”

“Shoot.” Corinne said, confused.

“Are you clean?- and what I mean by that is the day before last, we engaged in some adult activities without having all the facts.” Obviously Wonka was the farthest from comfortable in having this conversation, and Corinne could see hints of red peaking through his pale exterior.

“As clean as a thistle”

“Whistle?” Wonka corrected. 

Corinne thought that was an odd question, but answered anyway.

“I can only do Hot Cross Buns and part of the National Anthem, my lung capacity is better suited for other activities. You clean?”

“Whistle as in the idiom, ‘As clean as a whistle’, but nevermind that. I am also clean, and I would go as far as to call myself pure, give or take a couple experience” Wonka said with a waving hand motion. 

“Good to know, I also like to keep clean. Usually when working with clients who have large estates, I have to immediately sign some form of paperwork. I assume that applies here?”

“Just the standard NDA, it is essential that any outsiders sign one. I’m sure you already know the history of this factory, most of the world knows. To simplify, spies and thieves have come and gone, and they will not come back.” Wonka pulled out the contract from a stack of papers, and proffered a pen.

Corinne perused the document, signing a single dotted line and dating it. She returned the papers, which were not bound by any staples or clips, to Wonka. After receiving the papers, he pushed a button, and an Oompa Loompa came at once. The minion took the papers, left, and returned minutes later with a copy. They handed the copy and the original to Wonka, who then handed the copy to Corinne.

After she signed the document, Corinne noticed that her boss had relaxed considerably. 

“Now onto something lighter, you. In order to keep all of my excellent ideas safe in my factory, I have to scan any outsiders who come in, a standard procedure.” Wonka picked up the report he was reading earlier. “You studied engineering at Nice University? What made you switch over to interior design?”

“Well it was time for change. I fulfilled some wishes as an engineer, and I wanted to do something peaceful. Nothing better than making spaces look even better than they did before.” Corinne was used to this question, and she produced the same honest answer each time.

“Everything else checks out, just one quick question. It says on your website that you did some work in Israel. What did you do there?”

“I’ve never been, must be a typo. I did some work in Italy, but that was something minor, re carpeting, painting, and new tiling.” 

Wonka noticed her hesitation before answering that question, her answer was most definitely a lie, but he didn’t press her about it. He decided to change the topic, not wanting to endure any awkward moments.

“We dealt with that. Now, do you have any questions about the factory?”

“Yes. you mentioned before that there’s about 160 Oompa Loompas in this factory, but that can’t be true.” This was one of the questions Corinne was most curious about, there was no way she would forget the answer either. 

“You already signed the contract, and you will be working here for some time, the truth can’t hurt. This genius factory runs with more than 160 workers, it’s probably closer to 700 Oompa Loompas actively working, I’ve lost count.” Wonka answered. It was hard to keep track of the little workers who ran the front and back end of the factory.

“Would it be possible to get a map of the factory? It helps to have an idea of where I am when I am visiting rooms.”

Did the Oompa Loompas not give you a map of the factory? I don't have a copy or the original at this desk, but if you go in the elevator and hit the office button, you’ll find a copy of he maap there.”

“No I got a map, it just wasn’t labeled in any way. I’m shocked that I made it back here on time. There are a lot of rooms in this factory, easy for someone to get lost.” Corinne was used to getting more than two days of direction, and she expected it in the factory.

“I forgot how many rooms are in this factory, over 500 at least. You will be here long enough to visit them all.”

“I’m in it for the long haul, I’ve already started looking for apartments. How long do you think this project will take?”

“It will take as long as it takes. Do you have another silly question to ask, or will you get on with what rooms you visited.” Wonka responded with his favorite saying, ‘It will take as long as it takes’ a motto he built his brand on.

“Right. I visited the Jelly Bean Room, I thought I shattered an eardrum when I heard the Mandrake beans scream, it was a great way to get the blood pumping. Then I went down the hall to the igloo that had ice cream in it.”

“One of my favorite rooms, I remember the first time I ran the zamboni over the ice. You probably already know about my wonderful invention, the never melting ice cream. The freezer has some of my regular ice cream, part two has the non melting formula.”

“Hopefully this does not come off as ignorant, but I have barely heard of your enterprise, Monsieur. I am more familiar with one particular chocolate and candy brand-”

“Do not ut _ ter _ that name in this factory. Everyday I am reminded that my empire is not recognized everywhere. Other brands are more popular than mine, in this day in age. I can assure you that the longer you work in this factory, which mixes it’s chocolate by  _ waterfall,  _ you will become very familiar with my company and all of its products. If only everyone could know the greatness that I have accomplished. Please continue without mentioning any companies beneath mine.” Wonka passionately said. Almost like the beginning of a rant.

“J'ajoute ceci à la liste” Corinne whispered.  _ I’m adding this to the list. _

“What list?” He asked, staring her down from his chair.

“Just a list of personal observations. I was adding that you were passionate about your brand.” Corinne responded.  _ More like don’t talk about other candy brands, or he’ll flip a lid.  _

“What else do you have on the list? Humor me.”

Corinne ignored the look in his eyes that were daring her to speak, instead she cleared her throat and organized her thoughts.

“My first observation was the contrast in appearance: With all due respect, you looked pale and lanky when I first saw you. Come to find out, you have a good tan on you, and you are well built. The makeup is fitting though. Second observation: the work of art on your back. May I ask what it is?”

“Hourglass with all of my initials. I also noticed your back piece. It’s a very nice scale.”

“It was worth the pain, it runs along my spine. I must be a glutton for pain, I have more that run on bone too.”

“A shame that I’ll only get to see the one on your back, but we have an agreement.”

“A shame indeed, but a deal’s a deal. I’m not good with scooters, but I did take some notes from the ice cream room.”

“Segues. And what other notes do you have?”

“It’s funny that I left engineering because I wanted to do interior design because engineering keeps coming back into my life. I noticed that the paddles for the mixing bowl didn’t go all the way to the bottom, it left the bottom portion unmixed. When I was not getting whiplash from the glass box, I managed to sketch out a new design” Corinne replied. She handed him the clipboard with her sketch.

Wonka studied the sketch and placed it in front of him.

“I would never want any customer to receive unmixed ice cream, or ice cream that hasn’t been mixed well. This is a good idea, and you can work on it more tomorrow, after you room-browse. I will also have the main entrance painted tomorrow.”

“You picked out a color? How will that room get painted, it’s quite large.” She inquired. 

  
  


“I’m going to go with a red, in a deeper shade, like velvet. Of course it is too much of a hassle to bring in outside people. Imagine the process of clearing all of them! My Oompa Loompas will do the job just fine. Oh and ignore Charlie’s request to touch up his house, his mother would have my head if I tried to remove the  _ cozy charm _ that the _ house _ supposedly has.” Wonka rarely had the need for air quotes, but he could not pass up the opportunity this time.

“Noted. I must say that I look forward to working in this factory, there’s a lot of promise.”

“And I am looking forward to what ideas you bring to the table.”

“Hopefully I get this idiom right. I think we will get along swimmingly.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you enjoy this story, I'm writing this story for a friend who had COVID-19, and I thought it would be nice for you to enjoy it too!


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